As a sellsword who fought battles for coin, you're well acquainted with risking life and limb for a chance at a share of treasure. Now, you look forward to fighting foes and reaping even greater rewards as an adventurer. Your experience makes you familiar with the ins and outs of mercenary life, and you likely have harrowing stories of events on the battlefield. You might have served with a large outfit such as the Zhentarim or the soldiers of Mintarn, or a smaller band of sellswords, maybe even more than one. (See the "Mercenaries of the North" below for a collection of possibilities.) Now you're looking for something else, perhaps greater reward for the risks you take, or the freedom to choose your own activities. For whatever reason, you're leaving behind the life of a soldier for hire, but your skills are undeniably suited for battle, so now you fight on in a different way.
You know the mercenary life as only someone who has experienced it can. You are able to identify mercenary companies by their emblems, and you know a little about any such company, including the names and reputations of its commanders and leaders, and who has hired them recently. You can find the taverns and feast halls where mercenaries abide in any area, as long as you speak the language. You can find mercenary work between adventures sufficient to maintain a comfortable lifestyle (see "Practicing a Profession" under "Downtime Activities" in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook).
Countless mercenary companies operate up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the North. Most are small scale operations that employ a dozen to a hundred folk who offer security services, hunt monsters and brigands, or go to war in exchange for gold. Some organizations, such as the Zhentarim, Flaming Fist, and the nation of Mintarn have hundreds or thousands of members and can provide private armies to those with enough funds. A few organizations operating in the North are described below.
The cold and mysterious Lurkwood serves as the home of numerous groups of goblinoids that have banded together into one tribe called the Chill. Unlike most of their kind, the Chill refrains from raiding the people of the North and maintains relatively good relations so that they can hire themselves out as warriors. Few city states in the North are willing to field an army alongside the Chill, but several are happy to quietly pay the Chill to battle the Uthgardt, orcs, trolls of the Evermoors, and other threats to civilization.
Consisting solely of elves, Silent Rain is a legendary mercenary company operating out of Evereska. Caring little for gold or fame, Silent Rain agrees only to jobs that either promote elven causes or involve destroying orcs, gnolls, and the like. Prospective employers must leave written word (in Elvish) near Evereska, and the Silent Rainsends a representative if interested.
Founded in Sundabar nearly two centuries ago, the Bloodaxes were originally a group of dwarves outcast from their clans for crimes against the teachings of Moradin Soulforger. They began hiring out as mercenaries to whoever in the North would pay them. Since then the mercenary company has broadened its membership to other races, but every member is an exile, criminal, or misfit of some sort looking for a fresh start and a new family among the bold Bloodaxes.
Use the tables for the soldier background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a mercenary.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | If people leave their gear unsecured, they must not want it very much. |
| 2 | I feel more comfortable sleeping under the open sky. |
| 3 | I always pre-plan my escape should things go bad; I always like to have an exit strategy. |
| 4 | I tend to give animal owners breeding and care advice whether or not they want it. |
| 5 | I lost a pet as a child and sadly reflect on it to this day. |
| 6 | I always form a powerful, emotional bond with my mount. |
| 7 | I recoil at the thought of killing someone else’s pet or mount. |
| 8 | I prefer to hang to the back of a scuffle or discussion. Better to have my enemies in front of me. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Loyalty: Never bite the hand that feeds. (Good) |
| 2 | Unpredictability: Keep your enemy guessing and off-balance like a confused deer. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Power: I strive to become leader of the pack at all costs. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Freedom: I bow to no one I don’t respect. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | Resourcefulness: Our wits are our most valuable resource in troubled times. (Any) |
| 6 | Unity: Lone wolves fail where the pack succeeds. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I cannot leave a harmed animal behind; I must save it or put it out of its misery. |
| 2 | I leave behind my own personal calling cards when I do a job. |
| 3 | I do not trust people who do not have a pet, mount, or furry companion. |
| 4 | The pelt I wear on my back was from an animal that died saving my life, I will always cherish it. |
| 5 | If my pet does not like you, I do not like you! |
| 6 | Once you’ve ridden with me and fought by my side, I’ll be there for you odds be damned. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I talk to animals; I believe they understand me, even if they do not. |
| 2 | I growl at and bite anyone who gets too close to my food while I am eating. |
| 3 | I strongly dislike enclosed spaces and require intoxication or firm encouragement to enter them. |
| 4 | I robbed the wrong caravan once. The owner is a powerful merchant who holds a grudge. |
| 5 | I’m an inveterate gambler. |
| 6 | I judge people based on how well they stand their ground in a fight. I got not time for cowards… |